Minnesota Vikings Juicy Lucy Burger

I gotta say an idea for a Minnesota Vikings burger didn’t jump out at me immediately, and so I ended up doing a bit of research.  It didn’t take long to find the Juicy Lucy – apparently a Minnesota tradition that’s morphed into dozens (perhaps hundreds) of variations.  But the original was a stuffed burger with American Cheese as the stuffing.  So let’s go original.  Here I show you how to wrap two thin patties around two slices of American cheese to create a monster burger.  I decided to grill mine off (a pan works too), and then top it with even more American cheese. The result was phenomenal.

• Seeded hamburger bun
• ½ pound of ground beef  (Diehard Vikings fans with too much money can use ground reindeer instead).  
• Olive oil 
• 4 slices of American cheese 
• Salt
• Pepper

1. Form ground beef into 2 thin patties, about ¼ inch thick.
2. Fold each corner of the cheese to the center and place it on top of the patty.
3. Place the other patty on top and seal the patties around the edges, in order to lock in the cheese.  Be sure there are no holes in the seal or the cheese will bleed out.
4. Cover and refrigerate the burger.
5. Turn a grill on hot.
6. Season the burger on both sides with Salt and Pepper.
7. Coat the meat with olive oil.
8. Place meat on the grill and cook it over a medium-high heat for 3 or 4 minutes on each side.  
9. With 2 minutes left of cook time, add American cheese slices on top of the burger.
10. Garnish a plate with a split burger bun and a small side of Caesar salad.
11. Add mustard, ketchup, and pickle slices on the bun.
12. Place the patty on the bun.
13. Add lettuce.
14. Add tomato.
15. Place top half of bun.

Cut the sandwich in half to enjoy the texture and aroma of that gooey melty cheese in the middle.  I decided to grill mine, and then top it with even more American cheese.  The result was phenomenal!  

Be sure to let this burger rest for a few minutes after cooking, and watch out for the molten cheese on that first bite.  Many thanks to the Vikings and the state of Minnesota for giving me the idea for a great new burger recipe!